Stray
by Neoshadowwolf
Summary: Caught in the middle of a war, an Absol swears to destroy the evil Shadow Pokémon and their mysterious leader Shadow Alakazam. Having coming across a new home and a new life, will he leave behind his violent past or will revenge lead him to his demise?
1. CH1: The Shadow Hunter Pt 1

_**Note:** The prologue has been removed due to being almost entirely exposition. I kept a backup of it for any later references. Sorry to make this feel too "in media res" but I feel it is what I have to do for now. The story and characters must come before the background information, not the other way around. Perhaps when I attempt another draft of the entire story, I will be able to amend this.  
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__Only original characters and original settings here. The premise is spiritually similar to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, but very loosely; only Pokémon, no humans. I am willing to consider using your OCs in this story, but please send a private message to me about it instead of posting a review. Look on my profile for more details. Do not submit any OCs if you have not read a good amount of the story.__

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><p><em>Another quiet morning. Why am I not surprised?<em> I scoffed to myself. Of course. Now why would I be surprised, knowing that this miserable little world I lived in was stuck in the eye of peril for quite a while? There seemed to be a dearth of any "new" news lately…

Before me the decrepit woods lied silently in their former glory; there was no other sound except for the crinkling made by brown gnarled leaves blowing away. I gazed at the blackened morning sky, the sun's beauty corrupted by hazy storm clouds. A bolt of lightning penetrated the darkness with a mild flash, followed by a tremendous explosion of thunder. Through the heavy wind I sniffed the air and listened carefully to my surroundings. Sadly, the woods offered me no assurance of life; no shrieks of terror in response to the thunder, no muttering in angst, not a single peep. Traces of Shadow Energy littered about in isolation accompanied by scratch marks on the trees. True to my intuition, there was no one left here… not anymore.

'Twas a typical overgrown forest with leaves and vines blocking my path; at least that might have been how an older timer would put it. Walking through this place somehow felt familiar oddly enough, though I assured myself that I had not ventured to this particular area before. This forest shouldn't even be so much a reminder to me, and yet this deep yearning inside me seemed to grow in size. What a bother.

In a grand forest such as this, I would have hoped to see one insect at least… The other thing I noticed something awry here was that I had yet to even see a body, but this rotting scent was fixed. When I turned to walk over to an empty path, I noticed something on the road. It was a sickly green object shaped like a crescent moon. By then, I realized this odor was being emitted from this thing. It held a rather thick but flaky texture, there were holes on the sides as if they designated where eyes were supposed to be, there were claw marks around it peeling off part of the skin and there was a big gaping hole in the middle. It used to be a Metapod. The hole held some thick, sludge-like fluids inside, suggesting to me that someone had plucked the poor thing off clear from its shell… and not too long ago too. I scratched the surface of it with my claws, finding that it was as hard as stone. "You must have been desperate to live," I whispered into thin air. "No one was here to move you to someplace safe and you were at the mercy of the one who did this to you… Sleep now." Feeling uncomfortable and disgusted, I left it behind and continued my serene walk across the forest.

The trees seemed to be getting darker with the leaves curling up more acutely as I traveled. I suspected that it was only a matter of time before everything, including the trees here, would dissolve away. _What does it matter anyway?_ I thought to myself. _It is inevitable for this place to be annihilated sooner or later. Even the Blackclaw Dragoons don't give two flying shits about it and will just burn down this place for fun._ After a disturbing trek, I finally found an exit to this place. I followed where dim rays of the sun were shining and came across another dead field. The grass itself was a sludge-like brown color and emanated a disgusting scent. _Ugh... this place REEKS of death._ I scanned the ubiquitous fields of brown plain, hoping to find some directive.

Suddenly, I heard a moan from a distance. I walked over to the source and spotted an injured Pokémon: round body covered in vanilla-colored fur, sets of two hands and two feet, and a snout on its face that seemed to be out of place. A Mankey. I advanced in closely.

"Speak to me," I pleaded. "What did this to you?"

I seemed to have startled him, judging by his light gasp. "R-run… away…" he said. He gestured his hand as if he didn't want me to come any closer. At a short inspection, I noticed that his open, bloody wounds were emitting traces of dark fog. "T-they… came… neighbors… ran…"

"Who came? The Shadow Pokémon?" I queried.

The fallen primate struggled to nod his head. "Y-yes… but you must go… now!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that. I'm not leaving you here to become one of them. I'm taking you elsewhere myself."

"But… my h-h-home…" He started to sob lightly but I paid little mind to it.

"Your home is destroyed. Get up."

"No…"

"Get up or I will end your pain here."

"No…! Leave me alone!"

"Not unless you let go of your worry. There is no one here besides the two of us, but I can guarantee you that moving away from here will save your life."

"It's too late… leave me… go… before… AGH!"

Black smoke suddenly shot out of his wounds. A black aura devoured the warrior and raged like an inferno. Mankey's cries were agonizing to the ears and traumatizing to the heart. The area seemed to distort around me. In the depths of my mind, I could hear a child's scream synchronizing with his and then I found myself screaming as well. _Damn it, make it stop…_ When the screaming did stop, he stood up and glared at me. His wounds just vanished and left behind visible scars. The creature cackled madly and grunted dully.

"G-go… away!"

He zipped towards me and smashed his open hand against my ribs. I yelped out, but soon he prepared another Karate Chop with his other hand. I backed away quickly to dodge it, resulting in the Mankey sinking into a tantrum. _Another innocent life consumed by the tainted darkness,_ I thought. _He had his chance. I'll end his misery._ I watched carefully as he circled me with his hands seemingly to be grasping nothing but air.

"Y-you… must DIE!" the Mankey screamed. He swiped at me again, this time with his claws, but I blocked the attack with my horn. He flinched and screamed like a lunatic, holding out his bleeding hand. He roared, seething in pain.

"I WILL KILL YOU!"

I said, "Heh. You're making a big mistake, friend. I fought your kind countless times and frankly, I'm not impressed. A Shadow will not take my life easily. The corrupt darkness can only do so much to a demon like me. Sorry, but I say you have overstayed your welcome in this world."

"T-tough t-talk… w-weakling…" He shook his hand and splattered blood all over the ground.

"Hahaha… look at you. You can barely form a sentence. You've lost your mind."

"Grah… GRAH!"

"I had enough of this. I live to see another day to see this war through, and today you are destined to be among the innocent casualties."

As his body was flinching erratically, I took the opportunity to attack. I slashed at his belly area, leaving a deep gash behind, and backed away quickly in anticipation of a counterattack. He just took the attack head on, and laughed insanely.

"What the hell is so damn funny?" I asked.

"Hehehe… hahaha! T-that is a lur…lame excusssse of an at-tah-hah-ack!" He trembled violently with a crazed look in his eyes, all bloodshot and twitchy. I was getting annoyed. _Fine. That's enough screwing around._

"Not good enough for you, huh? You asked for it. Swords Dance."

I circled my neck around and concentrated stored energy into my horn, which began to expel a faint glow. A burning sensation reached through my head, and just like that I felt ready to deliver the finishing blow.

"O-oh-ho-ho no you d-don't!" the Mankey screamed.

He crossed his arms together and took speed towards me, babbling incoherently. I grinded my teeth and gave an assuring grin to my target. Then, I moved back as he diverged his arms in a cross-like pattern, hitting nothing but air.

"Begone!"

I showed him no mercy. I rammed straight into him and delivered a Megahorn attack, a clean hit straight through the gut. "Urgh…" He groaned and shook violently, his body feeling stiffer. I held my breath, suppressing the thought of letting him live… but I knew I couldn't. I then pulled the blade out from his body. He collapsed to the ground as his black blood poured out from the hole in his stomach…

"AGGGGHH! OWAAAGH!"

Mankey's body flailed about as his dark aura grew in size. Slowly, his fingers turned into gray ash and flickered off his body. Slowly, his whole body was changing into pale gray and waned. His screams died out into a faint echo as the dark aura reached its climax, the ashes scattering about followed by a sound of an air rush. Finally, there was nothing but blood stains on the grass… the only proof of his existence. _Farewell._

It was a pitiful moment. I should be rejoicing to be doing such a favor to cleanse the world, but the Mankey simply looked too young to face such an end. Many like him didn't deserve such a fate. The victims of this "Shadow Energy"… they were bound to madness and evil. When defeated as a Shadow Pokémon, they would reach the end of their existence. Their own darkness would tear away at their carcasses, leaving dust flowing in the wind. Such a cruel demise, but it was all necessary. Fairness, in general, had abandoned this dying world. Why should we live to suffer in this forsaken land, where violence was the answer?

"Kukukugrah!" A harsh call penetrating the brief silence made my heart burst. I could sense several concentrations of Shadow Energy converging towards my location. My eyes flickered towards the sky as a black bird swooped down under the intention of tackling me. I stepped aside where it only managed to zoom past me, leaving behind afterimages of dark hazy energy. Of course, the common yet infamous Shadow Rush attack. If Shadow Pokémon weren't so predictable, it would be over for me now.

The Murkrow sharply turned back to again deliver another shoddy tackle. This time, I was ready to counterattack. Just as it was about to make its mark, I swiped downward with my horn. Blood stained my fur, ebony feathers scattered. The languished body parts thud against the ground with an unpleasant squishing sound, where the lingering dark aura quickly cremated their remains. Though I had just slain two Shadow Pokémon, the affray had only begun.

A dog and a big-mouthed creature entered the scene, Growlithe and Loudred respectively, both of which not wasting a single second to stand and gawk at their prey. The orange dog Pokémon surrounded itself in a fiery blue aura before hurling itself at me as the purple beast came charging at me screaming its stout heart out. I used a similar tactic as I had done so with the Murkrow, and allowed these two to move past me. The Ferals were not that intelligent to begin with, so it allegedly worked again. Under such an auspicious moment, I had to finish them off quickly; so I exhaled out some dark energy of my own, formed it into an orb and launched it at the confused Growlithe. The poor canine did not see the Shadow Ball coming and was quickly caught in a small explosion. The Loudred quickly turned back towards me where it would approach a special surprise…

SCHIIIIK! I forced the horn into its gut and quickly kicked the body away with my paw, the carcass likewise evanescing away just as its allies had.

GRAAAAAWR! An enormous rock beast pounded the ground from a hill nearby; from which it took to the air and crashed onto the ground next to me. Before I could react, the dizzying shockwaves knocked me out of balance! The creature, a Rhydon, looked down on me and pressed its jagged foot against my spindly body.

"Grrr…! Agggghhh!" _That hurts, you son of a bitch!_ While seething in pain, I decided to pay the Rhydon back by knifing at its leg. With each successive stab, the monster howled in pain until it finally lifted its foot in which I managed to flee from its grasp. With my scythe raised, I watched as the Rhydon's pained yells subside. It glared at me with an unsettling hatred, a hatred intense enough to manifest into its next move. Crevices formed on the ground as large stones forced their way up to the surface, to momentarily levitate off the ground before the beast willed them to be thrown at me! Through painstaking and well-timed dodges I furiously moved around as each little boulder missed its target and burst apart into smaller rocks.

My expression broke off into a little moue while staring at the Rhydon's avarice-filled eyes, from there where I proceeded to taunt it, "Ha! I thought your species is supposed to be fearsome! All I see is a big pansy who constantly falls back on his fat ass! Come here, I'll tear away your pride!"

_Ooh, that certainly pissed it off._ As a response to the easily provocative comment, the Shadow Rhydon unleashed a shrill howl and made its way towards its foe under an enormous black aura. I readied myself to move away again, but soon I regretted my situation; the creature instead came to a stop and aimed a heavy punch where my ribs were!

CRUNCH! "Agggggh…! F-f-fuck…!" This one attack sent me shuffling across the ground with what I assumed to be a broken rib or two. _Argh, no… I cannot die today…_ When I tried to stand back up, I could feel something burning and moving where my injury was. It was no good. If I moved too much now, I would be hurled into a new world of agony! Footstep after booming footstep, the Rhydon (now with a satisfied look on its face) was poised to finish me. If I could no longer run to evade my foe now, there was one method left…

Wasting no more time I began to charge a Shadow Ball in my maw. Thankfully, the Rhydon did not seem to consider this to be any danger to it. Still, even as a low-class Feral Shadow it was stupid of me to underestimate this foe… and now my life was being gambled. My breath grew more labored as I drew in whatever dark energy I still managed to contain, and unleashed the diabolical sphere at the Rhydon's face.

The creature was stunned by the attack, now covering its face. It ambled along clumsily until it made a sloppy impact towards the ground. "Now…" I whispered. I struggled to come to the thrashing beast as my ribs stabbed and forked my insides… with one final exertion, I cut through the monster's craggy body and impaled its heart. Its uproar was abruptly interrupted as gore overflowed its jaws, soon giving out to the end. The Shadow Rhydon's limbs came to a stop and a hefty exhalation escaped through the tunnel of blood within its body. The fury in its eyes no longer existed, its body blanketed by the dark aura amazingly devouring its body piece by piece…

_Fuck… there are still more of them here._ For now, I could consider myself having amazing luck. I limped towards the nearest bush and drilled through its thick stinking branches where I could hopefully keep myself out of view from the approaching Shadow Pokémon. I carefully lied down on the opposite side of my body so that I would not be resting on my impacted ribs. Time and time again, I would see a small Shadow Pokémon prancing through the battle site unable to find the source of the commotion. _Damn it all… I fucked up… I left myself vulnerable and now I am getting that much closer to death…_

I slowly shifted my body to a more comfortable position, waiting for the storm to begin. The sun was finally obscured and rain poured down in light drops. Even the rain felt as if it was lifeless, so chilling. Another morning of the search ended… another cluster of lives taken… another day of my life thrown into peril. I couldn't take anymore for today. I stared at the lifeless plains, which quickly began to form small puddles. I was at a loss; would staying alive at this point eventually bear fruit? I could only hope that there was no other monster out there to finish me while I was at rest. But would it matter now? My body was now crippled, useless… very soon… my tale would come to an end…

_Ahh… peace…_ As I lied there, the migraine settled in and my vision grew weaker. A sudden darkness blinded me… blurring my sight, supported by the heavy rain… the field started to distort… The last thing I remembered… a loud thunder sounded, and the world faded away… at that moment I was dead to the world.

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><p><em>If you have questions about the story, you may PM me. You may also look up the <strong>Stray<strong> wiki link on my author page for more info on characters and locations._


	2. CH1: The Shadow Hunter Pt 2

A herd of Slowpokes made its way towards the sea, each of its odd locals proceeding to fish from the bay by using its own tail as bait. Occasionally washed ashore were crustacean Pokémon picking about at the sand in search of scraps as one water fowl patrolled the area to eventually carry off an unfortunate Krabby… Such was the wiles of survival of the fittest.

But not all Pokémon had to live under such conditions, much to the chagrin of the jealous prey who proudly fought against their enemies until the end. Here at the woods, we were all family…

Silver mountains lined the eastern moors forming a land barrier to hold off the rest of the world, almost as if giants were standing guard to shield us from the violence. Before them lied pastures decorated with colorful flora and gigantic forests enriched with bountiful crops as ripe as the beginning of spring. The crashing of the sea offered such a welcoming atmosphere…

A new day would begin with communities of Grass Pokémon clamoring to a forest center, drinking in the sun's warmth happily; none of them were very picky about choosing a spot for it was shared territory between family and neighbors altogether. Tiny bug Pokémon would crowd a particular section of the woods to hold a banquet of sugary fruits grown from mountain spring water and abundant deposits of silt. In the depths of the woods where no light could penetrate the canopies, psychics would find enough solace to meditate throughout the day without worry.

A flock of bird Pokémon, unbound of the evils of the earth, soared through the sea-colored sky under the leadership of an enormous bird-of-prey whose wild and colorful appearance displayed undying commitment and pride. The Pidgeot cawed, and soon the flock descended down to the trees to pick at the grounds and trees for nourishment. A mother Pidgeotto, no taller than the usual bush, returned to her nest up at the treetops to gleefully deposit her collected feed to her young chicks.

A mother Sawsbuck cooed to her whimpering faun who was only recently brought into the world, not able to stand just yet. She playfully rubbed her infant's head with her muzzle occasionally licking off bits of dirt and twigs. Only a matter of time before this faun would finally get his first glance at the beautiful world around him, loving every second of his existence in it… forever where his happiness should belong…

I missed it all…

And now, I would finally be a part of it once again…

A thunderclap. _W-what…?_ The sky seemed to coincide with a black vortex, and in an instant the paradise turned darker than night. Before anyone was able to take a moment to ask what was happening, one of the Pokémon began to scream madly. It was a mighty Tyranitar clutching his armored torso which seemed to emanate a dark mist. As if being instantaneous contagion, other Pokémon seemed to fall to this pattern as some invisible force slowly combusted their body with an at-first transparent flame. The Tyranitar roared in pain as his body formed large cracks that shot out dark mist. Another Pokémon, a Psychic, attempted to calm the beast by trying to reach into its sensibilities…

KEE-KRRR! Instead the Psychic dropped to the ground, having lost her dislocated arm to its once peaceful comrade. The Psychic did not scream but rather fell flat with shock written all over her face. The Tyranitar ravenously gulped down the bloody arm and quickly feasted on the remains! The whole area shook under the tremendous force of frightened shrieks and cries as even more Pokémon blazed with dark aura, and attacked more of their friends…

Warm, bitter rain crashed down to further contaminate the once lush grounds with the blood of the innocent; the wind ascended to a forceful hurricane, and like a blade it sliced away vegetation and organism with such cold prejudice.

Amidst the chaos of the maelstrom, a tiny white quadruped Pokémon approached a larger one. Shock and confusion plagued him, afraid to so much utter a word…

"D-d-dad? Dad?"

The larger Absol seemed to be unable to hear the young one which only managed to anger him.

"DAD! WHY ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?"

The cub froze in fear when his father finally faced him, unable to contain the horror right in front of his face. The eyes of the older Absol were gouged out, leaving only bloody holes behind. The cub backed away and oddly enough, the older Absol's face tilted to track the smaller one's movements. With a solitary step, the "blinded" father raised his scythe to prepare for an execution movement…

"DAAAAAD! NO! IT'S ME! YOUR SON! DON'T DO THIS!"

The cub fell over to the ground, helpless to what was coming to him. He furiously pounded the ground with his paws as hot tears streamed along the rain on his face, his cries having evolved into pitiful bawling…

The adult's body burned with the same dark energy as the other "Shadows". Suddenly, the creature cackled in a low tone before finally whipping his blade into an attack…

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

KEEEE!

"..."

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><p>"Wh-wha…? Uh?"<p>

A damp sensation around my coat sent shivers to my spine, allowing the drowsiness to fade away. I was still situated under the bush, seemingly untouched since my previous battle. _I'm alive? Just my luck._ To reorient myself with reality, I wobbled one of my front paws and pulled my leg back. I could feel the unpleasantly chilling composition of the moist soil mashing against my leg, staining the fur around it with a lifeless hue. This was convincingly real enough to me.

_But wait, my injuries?_ I carefully curled my body sideways and… _no burning feeling? Really? How odd._ With increased doubt, I crawled out from my hiding place to again gaze upon familiar scenery. The pain was gone as if the battle never happened. I could have sworn there was a dislodged rib. No matter. I could hear echoes of more fateful battles calling my name, but from whence they originated I could not determine.

The sky looked just as gruesome as before, if not any darker. _How long have I been out?_ Shades of red and violet plagued the clouds under their dark vigilance, signifying of the approaching night. Remaining storm clouds casted shadows in motion across the dead plains, giving their blessings to the dew that now coated the dead grass.

"Where now?" I asked myself. If my past teachings were of any use, it would have been ideal to travel north. But so far, traveling north all this time had only entrapped me into uninhabitable territory. Under these conditions, I could not stay here either. Without further ado, I chose a direction where the sky was darker. If my guess was correct, I would be heading northeast. Only time would tell now…

Moments later, I spotted a tiny white speck drifting down from the sky. It lightly pecked me against the face and quickly melted. "First, rain. Now snow?" I said out loud. This was as cryptic as the wilderness could get for me. If an Absol could not have foreseen these weather changes, then there were many other species of Pokémon who wouldn't be able to either. _I have to move faster before this becomes a problem. _And just as predicted the drops of snow slowly grew in number. Drop after drop that brushed against my body, I could already feel the brutal force of arctic winds ready to sweep the fields without mercy.

Then finally, it struck me. Not too far off, I could sense traces of Shadow Energy moving away. For better or worse, I had to find out where they were headed. Wandering alone without some clue on where there would be safe zones was not my best of ideas. It was my only one. My walk evolved into something of a trot, in which I could tail my targets without causing too much attention.

And eventually I came in close enough to witness several wandering Shadow Pokémon approaching a very specific direction. They moved silently fixated on this one heading, due to which they seemed to not notice anything else. How eerie. I couldn't blame them, for now this strange intense feeling in my stomach became incipient. It was… actually becoming painful…

"Ugh." I knew this sickening feeling couldn't be from an illness. Something was silently calling me… beckoning me to come closer. And by the looks of it, the Shadow Pokémon could sense it too. More of them converged to a similar location, charging their way into the depths of the cold. Snow fell in thicker drops and the force of the wind grew stronger, and it looked as if neither would dwindle. There was no doubt about it. "A blizzard is coming."

Indeed. Simply minutes after I said that, a snowstorm finally brewed. After a long time of silence and no light of hope, I finally found where the Shadow Pokémon wanted to go to. Even though it was already entrenched with white, frozen precipitation, a particularly healthy-looking forest sat in the middle of nowhere. As I approached it, the span of trees was growing larger and the faint scent of pine was drifting into my nostrils. Much to my surprise, the forest was enormous in both stature and width. Maybe this was a haphazard intuition, but I thought perhaps this forest could provide me some food and water. If I was really lucky, maybe there would be a village nestled within it! It was wishful thinking, oh yes, but I best beat my competitors to it before there would be nothing left!

"Wait," I told myself. The feeling inside me welled up again. This time, I could feel its effects swirling around me. It was anticipated satisfaction… a craving for raw flesh. My stomach growled greedily as the scent of pine was replaced by another familiar scent. The scent then corrupted my taste buds with the raw flavor of…

"Blood…" _Yes._ The blood of my enemies. _Yes…_ The fear and anguish in their eyes. _Yes…_ Their sins becoming their undoing, expressing their regrets for having denied me life. _Yes yes…_ Their horrified screams growing more intense, as I TORE, BROKE and STABBED their weakened bodies! ONE hack after ONE, their appetizing limbs came clean off! Gore erupted as my blade sawed through their chest like paper, revealing their blackened demonic little hearts! Their corpses ripe for the taking. _Y-yes… yes yes yes yes yes YES!_ The predator's kill…

_Wait. No no NO! This feeling isn't real! IT'S ALL FAKE! THIS ISN'T MINE!_ The sensation made my blood boil and my bones quiver. It was that kind of rush of rapacious excitement coursing in, but one couldn't help but feel sick about it! The cold now seemed to be gripping my own heart, encasing it in an agonizing layer of ice. My breaths inclined in speed as if the air in this world had been sucked out, my eyes burning as if pools of blood wanted to escape. _I HATE THIS FUCKING FEELING!_

My eyes flickered towards one direction inside the forest. Whatever was causing this bloodlust, I knew… I knew it was in there! Shadow Alakazam or whatever, I would take my chances. It must die before… before it would be too late. Too late for what? _We shall see, my prey._


	3. CH1: The Shadow Hunter Pt 3

Chunks of snow were carelessly casted about as my paws hurriedly made contact with the nippy frost. Like a wraith gliding across the surface of a lake, I moved deeper into the forest in vicious haste. Columns of grey timber and beads of powder snow quickly passed by, my concentration locked on to this evil presence. The flight of the Absol was always a graceful one, for the sight of this mountain creature trampling across the tundra would be phantasmal and unworldly to the common field creature. It may also be a symbol of disaster.

And now disaster would strike, but not a natural one. This forest harbored a multitude of Shadow Energy signatures, but what really caught my attention was this particularly dense one. My thoughts and feelings synchronized with this signature, and I could feel the monstrous gluttony and fiery avarice polluting my insides with their slimy, unwelcome existence! _They shall end!_

And finally, I halted my advances as my target finally came into view. A stout dark creature was standing next to a tiny, shaggy-looking Pokémon lying on the ground (dead?), eyeing it hysterically. It did not take long before the dark creature would turn its head and glare at me amusingly. Immediately as I caught its stare, a nasty grimace was perched on its grisly face. It was the first thing I paid attention to; that appalling stare! Those eyes matched the same hue as gore, its somewhat misaligned teeth revealed through a mockingly gruesome smile. It maintained a shadowy but plain body; the colors and textures resembling a mixture of sludge and bile tinted with the color of rotten plums. A Gengar, but certainly not an ordinary one. Its body was bathed in Shadow Energy. A low growl, apparently male, escaped from the creature's breath.

"Rrrr… kekekekeke! You are just in time for dinner, friend! Which part do you want: the drumstick or the brain?"

"Neither," I replied. "I just want you dead, Shadow scum."

Shadow Gengar cackled at my banter madly. "Oh? And just how do you plan on doing that? If you haven't noticed yet, I'm technically dead already! Ah ha ha ha ha!"

"Yeah. Very funny, you are a ghost. A ghost that apparently needs to eat."

"Aw, but I don't mind sharing this woodland creature! She was asking to die anyway."

My eyes narrowed on the fur-ridden creature. Its brown coat was dirtied with small stains of blood and its long ears were curled back. The body was violently trembling…

I said, "I'm afraid your kill is all mine for the taking."

Gengar tilted his head with awe. "I see. So you don't like sharing. Well, in that case…" He raised a hand at me. "You will substitute for my next meal!"

An orb of red and violet flames launched out of the creature's hand. Having underestimated the speed of the attack, I stood my ground and swiped at the orb. The effort was futile as flames brushed against my face and part of my torso, their ethereal form searing my skin and fur, before dissolving into the air.

Gengar maniacally jittered to himself. "Oh yes, you smell more appetizing than the Eevee! Now why don't you stay still so I can keep frying your insides?"

"No," I said. "I will slay you just the same as I have done to your weakling allies!" At that note I quickly developed a dark orb in my maw and launched it at him. He quickly evaded the attack and took to the air before countering with his own projectile attack. Instead of repeating my foolish mistake, I dodged the Shadow Fire and pursued my target.

"Good boy! You certainly learn!" Gengar shouted from the sky. "But now let's see how you dance!" He held his hand towards the murky indigo sky and out came smaller fiery projectiles that rained down on the field. It was impossible for me to dodge all of them given their numbers and speed (especially when the snowstorm was making it harder to see), so I continued my own barrage of Shadow Balls while enduring the painful storm of dark embers. Orb after orb missed my target during which he would occasionally make faces at me and even giving me vulgar gestures with his hands. But finally, one Shadow Ball managed to hit him straight in the face and erupted with a misty explosion!

_This is a good diversion, Absol. Go!_ I turned my attention away from the target and ran towards the unconscious furry creature. With a rather harsh chomp, I snatched it by the neck and fled through a nearby thicket. Carrying this little "Eevee", as Gengar called it, was certainly no onerous task, possibly being one of the lightest organisms I ever carried with my teeth.

"YOU'RE AS GOOD AS DEAD, ABSOL!"

_Shit. He's back._ Without much thought, I stopped next to a snow-covered bush and set the Eevee underneath. "You stay put, you little bastard," I whispered. "I'll be back." I quickly scratched the bark off a tree's base so that I may mark the hiding place. I then shifted into my battle stance and proceeded to move away from the area, scouting out for my opponent.

"Come get some then!" I shouted back. It wasn't long before a shadow charged at me at the speed of a bullet, in which missed me by a hair. Gengar came to a halt and turned to me, looking irate.

"You thieving little packrat! Where did you put her?"

"That's for me to know," I retorted confidently.

His grimace appeared again. "Oh, I see! So you think you can escape MY territory with MY food! Okay, hotshot. I'll show you the true fear of being hunted!"

"Do me a favor and SHUT UP!" With a quick dash as momentum, I hurled my blade forward in an attempt to impale the creature. Much to my surprise, the Gengar's reflexes seemed to surpass my own as he managed to dodge the Megahorn unscathed.

"Tch, now that's not very nice," Gengar grumbled as he levitated higher. His teeth seemed to dislodged themselves at a very unusual fashion, revealing a gaping black hole. Black static fired from it in the form of a beam, developing into a cloudy Shadow Bolt. I prepared for a dodge but the stream of electricity made contact before I was able to do so, and so a stinging, numbing feeling shot through my body like ice piercing my very flesh!

"Grrr! No," I cried out. "I will not lose! Never to a Shadow Pokémon!" Having been in the wilderness for so long, my tolerance of pain had grown unimaginably formidable. It had to be so I would never lose my life, and such was the case even now! With one struggling effort, I charged another Shadow Ball in my mouth and shot it at Gengar. The attack succeeded in making its mark and the ghost Pokémon floated down roughly. With this, I seized the moment and stabbed him with a few forward thrusts of my scythe. It felt like striking at air, but I knew my attacks were doing their job after each stab incited a yelp from my opponent. My next stab missed as he retreated back, holding down the wounds on his chest.

He grumbled, "Gah! You're more persistent than I thought! Kekekeke… well done, but don't get cocky. You will eventually know the fear of everyone you have slain with that horn."

"What do you know of fear?" I asked. "Your threats and rambles don't scare me. I am a bit surprised that you can even form coherent sentences."

"Ehehehe, I am a few cuts above those drones you speak of. Those Shadow Pokémon you have slain are mine. I can only imagine how much innocent blood that horn feeds on, and I bet it will taste so sweet."

"They were not innocent. They have wronged themselves and they have wronged everyone else around them! You and the rest of your kind are nothing but demons who spit poison!"

"Keh! Perhaps it is YOU who has been in the wrong all along. Look around you. This land is changing for the better. Don't worry though. This 'peace' you so desperately sought will soon come true."

"What…?" Something about his words didn't feel right. Progressively, they seemed to be… intruding deeper into my thoughts…

The grin on Gengar's face seemed to widen as he continued to say his cryptic words, "What's the matter, Absol? You seem troubled. I mean, it's not like what happens to you is a secret to me. Hee hee hee…"

I came to a conclusion. "So you knew I was coming here all along?"

"That, and a little more…"

"So you're a telepath. Regardless, I still don't give a shit! No Shadow Pokémon has his disgusting thoughts in my head and live!" _This son of a bitch has agitated my last nerve! Now he will answer to Arceus!_

I pivoted my neck and flicked my blade about in an intricate pattern; a slash to the left, a jab towards the sky, a dive to the lower right and a stab forward. The muscles around my neck and legs briefly loosened up before tightening again. Thus was the energizing power of the Swords Dance, a call to destroy my enemies. With warrior's morale and executioner's resolve, I launched myself forward and pierced Gengar's body with a devastating Megahorn! The tip of the blade popped out from the back of the shadowy monster, soon complimented by a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the forest…

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHH!"

I withdrew the blade from his body and watched him fall to his stubby knees. The dark mist around his body swirled eerily as the limbs slowly crumbled away. Through hoarse breaths, he gave me one final abominable look and uttered…

"Self-centered little brat… you will regret this… you will regret ever having lived all this time…" And from there, his body dissolved into vile specks of dust that were soon carried off by the gale.

A victory could only be as sweet as the spoils, and this one definitely didn't taste sweet. I had the satisfaction of defeating a stronger enemy but such a victory could not compare to gaining something in return. And all I got out of it was a little passenger.

Thankfully, I had not wandered too far from my secret hiding place. The absence of bark from the base of one of the trees allowed me to find Eevee again, who was thrashing against an invisible force while in cold slumber. For the most part, the little fox-thing seemed okay. At a closer inspection, I noticed burn marks and a bit of dry blood stained on the muzzle. The paws were roughened up with blisters, maybe a bit of frostbite. The rest of the body shook like an earthquake, so obviously it wasn't very fond of this intense cold.

_Wait, did Gengar call this one a "she"?_ My, how natural curiosity got the better out of me. I had to slip a claw between the hind legs to take a peek at my answer.

"Err, yep. You're a female alright…" Hey eyes still closed, she seemed to react with a frown. I chuckled to myself and said, "Well, hey. At least I won't be calling you a boy now. Most of the time, I can't even tell the fucking difference between male and female in Pokémon."

I quickly scanned my surroundings to determine the situation. The snow was cascading in a frenzy, coating the forest with a painfully thick fog. I could still feel traces of Shadow Energy around the forest, but they seemed to have scattered off to different directions now. I was wondering how no other Pokémon spotted the battle between me and Gengar, but perhaps Lord Darkrai 's wisdom was lending me some of its fortune. Now it was just me and Eevee.

I looked down at her unconscious body, watching her pained expression curling up. Her long ears pricked up and down at what seemed like false detections of a threat. It would go against my nature to describe this out loud with one painfully concocted word: _Cute._

Again, I broke the silence with a calm tone of voice. "I guess I can't let you freeze to death. Alright, little miss, I'll take you to safety. Who knows, maybe you know where to go next. If not, you still qualify for live bait for the Shadows."

I gnashed my teeth and grasped her limp body by the back, then flipped her over right onto my neck so that her legs could descend over each side of my body. I went into a trot where the only sounds heard were the hollering gales and the crunching snow beneath my feet. Eventually, I would find an opening beneath a wide but apparently dead tree. Though slightly caved in with snow, it was really nothing disparaging. I easily shoveled out the excess snow so there would be enough room for me to crawl in. Oddly enough, the amount of space underneath was surprisingly a little ample. It might have been an abandoned den of those Pokémon who may have lived here.

And so I gently set down my guest onto the cool, rocky ground. I petted the side of her stomach to comfort her, seeing as how she was struggling against something in her little nightmare. She needed warmth somehow, and she needed it now. One possible solution was that I could perhaps… share my own body warmth with her. But then again…

_Ugh-gh-gh._ "No, I'm not THAT creepy," I told myself. "Besides, I don't even have to look after her." Perhaps I should not have said that while watching her twitch and whine in her sleep. There was no denying service to that baby-like face. "You best appreciate what I do for you, girlie. I'll be right back."

I exited the den and ventured out to the cruel trial of the cold. I looked up to one of the smaller trees and locked my sights onto its leaves. _I can't set myself next to her. I just can't. She's not my sister or my daughter or anything. She's no one. What if she gets attached? No. That will not happen. I will not let it._ Thoughts cycled through, telling me to get those leaves. And so I forced my claws to dig into the tree's bark as I scaled up its firm, thorny magnificence. When I found myself at the same height as one of the thicker branches, I took the opportunity to cross over its surfaces and hacked away the bulbous foliage. After watching several leaves drifting down I grabbed onto the tree's trunk again with head facing the sky and legs wrapped around the wall of bark and grinded downward. When back on the snow-covered ground, I snatched up as many isolated leaves as I could and returned to the shelter.

Eevee snored soundly as her legs continued to twitch. I set the collection leaves down and proceeded to set up a little "nest" for her. With a few leaves stacked on the ground to cover its rock surface, I set her on top of them before blanketing her body with more leaves. After having tediously constructed her own space, my job was finished. "There… you have your own space now. Now let me have mine…"

_Tired… So… Tired…_ My body was plagued with hardships. Though I tried ignoring its calls, my stomach had been growling frequently in the past few hours. Some of the burns and the numbing pains from the previous battle still took their toll on me. With one last glance at Eevee, I collapsed onto the cold ground. I watched small puffs of air escaping through my nose, their hypnotic effect blurring my eyesight. No more today. My eyelids shut, now only darkness to look forward to…


	4. CH1: The Shadow Hunter Pt 4

_**Note:** It has been a while since I updated this story. After a lot of time and effort, I am hoping this next part will be more engaging than what has been published so far._

* * *

><p>"Stay put, boy."<p>

I was laying on a bed of straw, inside of a decrepit hut with a few holes in the wall allowing sunlight to flow through. I heard large feet pounding against a wooden surface, and that was when I had a look at the source of that voice. It was a tortoise of grand stature, a scowl featured on its scarred face. It walked away and opened a shoddy wooden door.

I heard a voice outside, saying, "Commander, I have a message from the Council. They will like to know why you have taken that stray in."

The tortoise grunted with a bit of frustration in its baritone voice, before coming up with a suitable response. "You expect me to leave him in the wilderness?"

I heard a sigh outside. "You can't be too careful, sir. You do realize what that is, right?"

"Yes, I know. How long do you think I'm on this earth? I am not one to believe in superstition, especially during these troubled times."

"But sir, we cannot afford to take more risks. Lusang is endangered enough as it is."

"He is just a child. What harm can he do? He can't be expected to find another refuge alone."

"I understand, sir, but don't you think it will bring bad luck to us all?"

"Listen, son. I don't know what lies these folks have been feeding you but they will not keep me from doing my job. I have been saving lives before you were even born, and I will save this one's life too. That is my final say on this."

"Very well, Commander. I will carry over this decision to the Council. Have a pleasant day."

The beast gently closed the door, mumbling something obscene. He turned towards me and formed a contemptuous look.

"You hear that, boy? You are going to live."

I could not tell if he was being sincere, as his voice quivered despite its toughness. It was like being in the same room with a Nidoking uttering a solemn threat. He approached me and laid a claw over my forehead, then his wide mouth curled.

"We found you passed out in the forest," he said. "I was wondering if somebody attacked you. Lucky you. Not a scratch."

I could not think of anything to say to him. It was as if my body willed me to stay silent while it wallowed under exhaustion.

"Tell me, son. You have any idea where your parents are?" the beast asked.

_My parents?_

"Mmm, don't know? Do you have a name to go by?"

_My name… what… is my name?_

"Don't tell me you don't have a name now. You have to at least know that much."

_But… what can I say?_

"Well, can you at least talk?"

_Finally, something I can give a certain answer to._"Y-yes." But it was not my voice. It was more gentle, yet also more shrill.

The beast responded, "Good. But you don't remember anything from before?"

I took a moment to absorb these words. There was only one thing I remembered: an image of a dark, foggy forest. Someone was dragging me against the damp grass by my legs before I blacked out. But how could this memory be anything helpful? "No. I don't think so," I told him.

"I see. I am sorry to trouble you then, son. I will let you stay in this village until we come across another Absol. We will reunite you with your relatives somehow."

"T-thank you."

"I hate to leave you after getting shortly acquainted, but I have a busy schedule to follow. Follow me and I'll have someone look after you for the day."

"Okay."

"By the way, I am Commander Typhon of the Peacekeepers. I will be calling you 'Absol' until we have a proper name for you."

"Okay."

"Come. Let us be on our way."

And out he walked, his body blending into a white light. I approached the doorway with eyes squinting. But before I could take a step outside, the room dissolved into a thick puff of dust which was then overtaken by a monstrous cloud of vapor. Like actual droplets of dew raining down, the moisture latched onto my skin and brought about a **burning** sensation that even a Charizard's Flamethrower could not match. I tried and tried to look for an exit, but I could only feel the acidic dew digging deeper into my flesh. The vapor pervaded every direction of this accursed void!

_Thump! _Amidst the dark clouds came an enormous, smoky creature whose only noticeable features were a mouth and wicked eyes ablaze. It reached out with a crooked, shadowy hand, calling out to me with a voice as cold as the blackest depths of the seas.

_Come closer…_

As if commanded by the will of another, my body moved on its own. I slowly approached the hand of the demonic entity.

_Power is only mere inches away._

_No! Back away,_ I told myself. My body came to a stop just as the hand was almost within reach. It was then that I felt a tug of gravity pulling me towards it again, but I continued to force myself away. In spite of this resistance, I felt like someone was flaying me alive. I pulled myself further away before the hand could snatch me, and thus an angered roar erupted from the amorphous demon. It distorted into a clump of shadowy mass and billowed forth. The wave crashed into me, and came the feeling of thousands of needles piercing my flesh.

"AAAGGGHHH!"

* * *

><p>The burning feeling was gradually disappearing as I basked in the comforts of the wintry draft. This moment could only be more relaxing if I could wash away this retched taste of blood and mold in my mouth. My vision cleared up to unveil a view of a dry little den, somehow lonely. The foliage nest where Eevee once rested on had been abandoned, with only folds and wrinkles in her place.<p>

_You stupid girl,_ I thought. _After all that trouble, you wandered back into Hell__._

I stepped outside and stretched my body as I took in the sights. The snowstorm seemed to have passed on, and now only tiny flakes floated from the stone-colored sky and the air currents had grown more passive. The titanic trees were still drenched in bulky layers of snow, but not so much to obscure the bristly leaves. The forest would have been a delightful place to behold, if it did not feel so desolate.

I dipped my head into the snow, scooped some into my mouth, and hesitantly swallowed. When I desperately needed water, drinking from rain puddles and eating snow were the next best solutions after an ordinary spring. To put it in the crudest manner possible, snow by the mouthful tasted like shit if one indulged too hastily. At this moment, I found myself spitting out gnarled brown leaves and old tree stems.

A dreadful feeling developed inside, and I was sure that it was not the snow alone making me sick. Before I had collapsed earlier, I sensed several Shadow Energy signatures. Now there was only one, and the presence itself was faint. I would like to search for Eevee, but I could not take too big a risk in attracting attention as well. Calling out to her would not just draw enemies in towards me, but she would also be at a higher risk of getting discovered. From here on out, I had to tread in solitude.

And my best lead at the moment was these minuscule footprints forming a trail leading towards the faint energy signature. Not a good sign, but I could probably eliminate it before it would reach her. I followed Eevee's tracks through a clearing leading to a more linear path. With the advantage of camouflage by my side, avoiding other trouble should be no problem.

From beyond the path awaited a lone strip of stone forming a lengthy ledge complete with its own lookout point, overseeing a gorge several feet below. Standing at the lookout point was none other than Eevee herself. Remaining motionless, she watched the view beyond with a blank face. As I approached her, it was then I realized that the energy signature belonged to her. Could it be that she was becoming one of them?

"Hey," I said. She did not react to my sudden presence, not even bothering to turn and look at me. I tightened my muscles and stepped forward, then attempted to get her attention once again. "I am talking to you. It's rude not to answer back."

The fox Pokémon tilted her head, from which I could get a good look at the delicate features of her visage. A light smile formed below those soulless eyes.

_Easy now_, I told myself. _Don't strike unless she strikes first._ Though she had not made a vocal response, I felt that I needed to continue talking to her. "Listen. You cannot stay out here. I don't know how long it will be until the Shadow Pokémon move on, but I am not convinced that we are safe yet. Come with me."

"No," she said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I need you here."

"Really? Because I don't think so."

"Hehehe. You will protect me, won't you?"

"Sure, sure. But if you please, it will be so much easier if you just come along with me so that we can leave this death zone alive."

"But I like it here. Stay with me."

_Is she serious? Happy in a place like this? _I shook my head. Realizing what I must do, I said, "You must be insane. Don't worry though. I have another plan that may make both of us happy."

Her grin grew wider.

"Trust me," I told her, "you won't be leaving this place and I won't have to be your bodyguard."

That was when I raised my scythe. But before I could land a blow, she fled. Maintaining a good distance from me, she stopped to glance at me before a terrible black mist engulfed her.

_So much for solitude_, I thought. _Now I have another problem._ She shifted into a lunging stance and charged at me as the aura burned like wildfire. I sidestepped to the right to dodge the attack; using Quick Attack, I retaliated with a swift tackle with her back turned. Now lying in snow, she cried in pain.

"Why, Absol? Why do you want to kill me?"

The first thing that struck me was that she knew my name. Did she recognize my species? How could she speak coherently to begin with? Regardless, I kept myself wary and said nothing.

I approached her with scythe raised to bring down the finishing blow, but she got back on her feet and dodged the stab attack. To my surprise, she created an orb of dark energy in her mouth and fired it before I could make another move. The resulting explosion seared me, but nothing too serious. I shrugged off the pain as if I only stepped into hot water for a second.

"Well, come on," she said a smirk. "Are you going to get beaten by lil ol' me?"

I stepped forward.

"Then catch me if you can! Hee hee!" She leaped into the gorge and ran off.

I jumped into the gorge and leaned forward to make a soft landing on the snow. I sped towards my fleeing target, who constantly made sharp turns around trees and boulders to confuse me. I kept my eyes on the shadowy fox, who came closer and closer as my strides bested hers. With one speedy effort, I smashed her and pinned her tightly against the ground.

She gave me a mournful look while gasping for air. Perhaps I shouldn't have rescued her in the first place. One would never expect an innocent-looking thing to perish to the wiles of Shadow Pokémon, but once it was done it could never be changed. To kill a young girl was never an enjoyment to me, but if I must…

"You got me," Eevee said. "What are you going to do now?"

"The only sensible thing, miss," I said.

She spat in my face and giggled.

"What a shame," I said as I wiped my face. "And here I thought we could be friends."

"Oh? Is that why you kept her?" she said in a distorted voice.

I gawked as her vile grin formed. I had never seen a Shadow Pokémon talk this way before. "What the hell are you?" I asked.

"Whatever could you mean?" she asked in that same demonic voice.

"Don't fuck with me," I said as I jabbed her on the throat with a claw.

"Hee hee hee! Sharp as ever I see."

"Your voice. You're that Gengar!"

"We got a winner! Ah ha ha ha!"

"How are you still alive? I killed you!"

"Details, Absol. Meaningless. I put up quite a good show, didn't I?"

"Fine. I'll try again."

"Aw, you're so grumpy now. Don't like that little nightmare earlier? I hope I didn't interrupt your memoir session."

"You intruded into my thoughts again? You have some nerve, you little prick!"

"So I do. Didn't I say you will regret this?"

My jaw clenched and the inside of my head filled with murderous thoughts.

"Well? Go ahead. Kill me!" the body of Eevee yelled while in a submissive position. "Kill HER like you mean it!"

I leaned forward and pressed my blade against the fox's throat. He choked and laughed.

"You sick bastard," I said as I distanced my blade. "What has she ever done to you?"

"What do you expect, nincompoop? You don't think that little scuffle earlier left me a bit tired? So, I took shelter. Hehehehe."

I stomped on Eevee's body, gleeful laughter given in response. "Get out," I said.

"Aw, and why should I do that? This is some nice, cozy living space here. Also, think about yourself here. What will happen to YOU if you let her walk around free? You will never know when the ones you saved will turn on you until it is too late. I thought you knew this already!"

I paused, not one second that the possessed body relaxed its spiteful grin.

"Why a child?" I asked. "Why not take me?"

"Let me answer that with another question: what will happen to me if I do that? You can clearly fight in your sleep too, a remarkable feat I may add. But no, that is aside from the point. Why allow myself to squander your talents? You've been doing so well surviving on your own. You don't need me controlling you. You don't need this pathetic woodland creature to be a burden to you either."

"Tch, why do you care? I survive because I can outlast any of you scum that crosses me."

"See? Such determination! You're more of an asset than she is. Why not sacrifice the weak and make more room for the strong? She is a miserable little thing anyway. You will be doing her a favor by letting her life end early."

"You're testing my patience. Get out of her. NOW!"

"Now I can't do that just yet. Otherwise, you won't listen to me. Do you value her life so much that you will do anything to save her?"

I paused for a moment.

"Tell you what," the body said. "I'll make you a deal. I'll leave and allow her to live. But in return, you need to help YOURSELF."

_What? _I thought."What do you mean 'help myself'?"

"You haven't been listening, have you?" he taunted in a singsong voice.

"Speak sense!"

"Rude," he said with a mocking frown. "Don't you remember what you set out to do? To slay a certain Pokémon that's been causing you misery? Well, guess what? I am better off too when you get rid of him."

"And why should I listen to you?"

"He has slain countless Peacekeeper and Blackclaw Dragoon soldiers, sometimes whole armies. Only few have ever come close to threatening his life. You are a good fighter, undoubtedly. But what makes you think you can stand on all four of your feet against Shadow Alakazam?"

Again, I paused.

"You want him dead, right?" he asked. "Well, I wouldn't challenge him. If you can't kill me off, what makes you think you even have a ghost of a chance against him?"

"Shut up," I said as I slammed a paw against the body. "I'll decide if I'm strong enough."

"Ow-ho-ho! Ha, good deal. Now, care to make your decision? Look at this sweet, innocent face. Are you a cold-blooded murderer willing to kill wittle foxxies… or are you her valiant savior? Make your choice."

_What now? He was trying to kill this Eevee earlier. Now he is letting her go without a ransom?_

"I know what you are thinking. All I ask is that you make an outstanding fighter out of yourself. Just imagine: you save a life today and meanwhile… you will save even more Pokémon from a fate worse than death. You will be given the fear and respect you've been deserving for a long time. No one shall spit in your face and call you a 'cursed stray' ever again."

_He makes a good point_. _What is there to lose?_ "Fine. Leave her and get out of this forest. You will not defile her with your slimy presence again."

"Kekekeke. Very well! We have a deal!"

The shadowy aura drained itself out of Eevee's body and melted into the snow, forming a blob-like shadow.

"I'll be watching," it said, before it sped into the depths of the forest.

I inspected the body to make sure that filthy demon had kept his word. She was asleep yet again but she was whimpering like a cub with a thorn in her paw. Her legs twitched and her eyelids creased. There was no longer any trace of Shadow Energy within her, so perhaps it should be safe to wake her up.

"Eevee," I called, shoving her body lightly.

Her ears flickered and her eyes popped open.

"You here with me now?" I asked.

She slowly got up to her feet, only to sit down again. Not a word was said.

"Are you hearing me loud and clear?" I asked again.

She gave me a sluggish, cold look. It was quite hard to tell if she was still possessed or not. "Yes," she said in a soulless voice.

"Good, good. It is nice to know you can speak."

Her dark eyes cocked. "Yes. I'm not stupid."

"I never said you were. You were, um, possessed earlier, so I had to make sure you didn't lose anything else other than your mind of course."

She did not respond.

"Right, now that we have that cleared up," I said, "get out of this forest. You don't need to be here."

She frowned and glared at me with creased eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, miss. I risked my life to save you and I expect some form of obedience after."

"No."

"What do you mean 'no'? You can't stay here. There are Shadow Pokémon dwelling in the forest and you almost became someone's meal. Or rather, puppet."

Her eyes moved away from me. "I don't care. Leave me."

"Take my word for it, miss. I'm not leaving you alone."

"It's okay. I don't need your help. Just go away."

_What is this girl's problem?_ I did not expect this kind of attitude from such a creature, but I had to persist. "Ha. A very poor way to thank someone who saved your life," I told her.

She did not respond.

"Twice," I said.

This got her attention. She attempted to form a smile, but it looked more like a begrudging straight face. She whispered, "Thank you."

"Better. Now tell me, what are you doing in a place like this? You don't look like the type of Pokémon to live here."

"You don't know me then."

"I am just saying, miss. You can't stay here."

"I told you. No."

I scratched against the snow. "And why not? What can you possibly gain from making yourself live bait?"

"I am looking for something, okay?"

It went silent. I almost found it unsettling that there were no Shadow Pokémon nearby, as they probably would have tracked down this noise already.

"Oh, are you now?" I asked.

"Just leave me alone!" With a look of scorn, she turned away and tried to run. It didn't do her any good, as she stumbled on her own paws and fell flat on the snow.

"Leave you alone in that condition?" I asked as I followed her. "No can do."

"Shut up." She struggled to move again.

"Where are your parents, kid?"

She came to a stop and turned to me. At first, she kept quiet before she let out a shudder. I watched as fresh tears dropped into the snow.

"How dare you," she cried.

"I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean to."

She collapsed and pressed her face against the thick icy layer, attempting to suppress her loud sniffles. I sat next to her and looked down in pity. Again, I spoke to her in a calm tone of voice. "Listen. You were wandering alone and you were vulnerable to any sort of maniac you may come across. You will not survive here by yourself."

"Why do you care?" she said, her voice muffled by the snow.

"I don't know. I can't be worried about something?"

"Fine. Do as you please."

"Very well."

I figured she would not like it but it suited me. I yanked her by the neck and flung her over my shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Just rest," I said while I held her skin between my teeth. "I will do the walking."

"No! Put me down!"

I released her to allow her to lean on my back, then slightly turned my head to glimpse at her. "I can be stubborn too. Just you watch."

She tried to say something, but held back. Instead, she gave me another cold look.

"Whatever you do," I told her, "just stay close to me. If we run into an enemy, you hide."

"Fine."

"And don't think about wandering on your own. Because I **will** get you."

"Fine."

And from there on, we did not speak to each other. I did not return to the hidden den, but rather traversed through the frozen wasteland. The waning air currents were now riddled with diamond dust and the various passages of the forest became clearer. And after a few moments of peace, I beheld a sight that I had not been accustomed to for quite a while: a sunrise as glorious as Arceus himself.


End file.
